fion s to fe t h e r up . H e r k e e l w a s a c co rd in g ly la id d ow n on block s
placed fo r th e p urpo fe near th e la n d in g -p la c e on the eaft fid e. A s this
p e r fon w a s the o n ly fh ipw r ig h t in th e c o lo n y , th e veffel w o u ld m u ch
fo on e r h a v e rendered th e fe rv ice s w h ic h w e r e req u ired o f h e r , had ffie
b e en p u t to g e th e r , co p p e red , and fen t o u t manned and officered from
E n g l a n d b y th e fe means too th e c o lo n y w o u ld h a v e re c e iv ed m an y
ar ticles w h ic h w e r e o f n e ce ffity ffiut ou t o f the P itt to m ak e ro om fo r
h e r ftow a g e .
A b o u t this tim e a m a lad y o f an ala rm in g n ature w a s p e rce iv ed in
th e c o lo n y . F o u r o r fiv e o f th e conv id ts w e r e fe ized w i th in f a n i t y ;
an d , as the m ajo r p art o f th o fe w h o w e r e vifited b y this c a lam ity w e r e
fem ale s, w h o on a c coun t o f th e ir fe x w e re no t harafied w i th hard
la b o u r , and w h o in g enera l lh a red la rg e ly of" fu ch little com fo rts as
w e r e to b e p rocured in th e fe ttlem en t, it w a s difficult to affign a c a u ic
fo r this diforder.
A p r il .J W i th a d re adful fic k lift, and w i th death m a k in g rapid
ftr id es am o n g us, th e m on th o f A p r il c om m en c e d : a lamentable c ir -
cumftanc'e to th o fe w h o had to p ro v id e b y th e ir labou r fo r th e fu p p o r t
o f a c o lo n y , in w h ic h , from its g rea t diftance, no t o n ly from th e p arent
c o u n t r y , b u t - f r om e v e r y p o r t w h e r e fup plies could be p rocu red , it
became an o b je c t o f th e firft m a gn itu d e and im po rtance to en d eavour
fp e e d ily , and b y e v e r y p offible e x e r tio n , to p lace its inhabitants in a
fitu ation th a t ac cid ent o r d e la y m ig h t n o t affeCt. H is M a je f ty ’ s ffiip
G u a rd ia n afforded a m e la n ch o ly re colle c tion h o w m u ch th is c o lo n y
had a lre ad y fe lt from in iiad v en tu re , and th e d e la y w h ic h occurred in
th e v o y a g e o f the L a d y Ju lian a tranfport had p ro v ed e q u a lly calamitous.
T h e re c en t c ircum ftan ce o f a ffiip a r r iv in g w ith o u t a fu p p ly o f
flo u r , and o th e r co n t in g en c ie s , fpok e w i th a w a rn in g v o ic e , and lo u d ly
demanded th a t e v e r y arm w h ic h cou ld be raifed ffiould be e x e r ted to
m ak e p ro v ifio n a g a in ft th e h o u r o f w a n t. F ew , h ow e v e r , in com -
p ar ifon w ith the meafure o f ou r neceffities, w e r e th e numbers d a ily
b ro u g h t in to th e field fo r th e p u rp o fe o f c u lt iv a t io n ; and o f tho fe w h o
c o u ld h and le the h o e o r the ip ad e b y fa r th e g rea ter p art carried h u n g e r
in th e ir c o u n ten a n c e s ; but it w a s e a rn e ftly ho p ed and a n x io u ffy r e x -
p edfed, 'th a t b y th e fp e ed y a r r iv a l o f fupplies from E n g lan d th e fu ll
ra tion o f e v e ry fpecies o f p ro v ifio n s w o u ld be ag a in iffued, w h en larb
o u r
b o u r w o u ld be ren ew e d w i th ad d itional v ig o u r and e f f e c t ; h ealth
and ftren g th be feen re fid in g am o n g u s ; and th e approaches o f in d e p
end en ce on G r e a t B r ita in be fom e th in g more th an a fan g u in e h o p e
o r v ifio n a r y fp ecula tion.
T h e co n v ic ts , and fuch ftores and p rov ifion s as th e g o v e rn o r th o u g h t
it n e ce fiary to fend to N o r fo lk Ifland, b e in g em bark ed , th e P itt failed
on the y th . P re v io u s t o he r d eparture, a fem ale co n v id t w a s fo u n d
fec reted on b oard, w h o d e claring in h e r ju ft ific a tio n th a t th e fo u r th
mate o f th e 'f f i ip had affifted h e r in h e r efcap e, h e w a s tr ied b y th e
c iv il cou r t o f ju d ic a tu re fo r ta k in g a c o n v i a from th e fe ttlem en t, b u t ,
fo r w a n t o f fufficient p ro o f, w a s acquitted.
T h e p r a d ic a b i lity o f b e in g fecreted on board o f fhips w o u ld a lw a y s
operate as an in d u cem en t to w re tch e s w h o faw a lo n g te rm o f fe r v i-
tu d e b e fo re th em to attempt th e ir e fc a p e ; b u t it c e r ta in ly b eh o v e d
e v e r y m a fte f o f a m erchantman b o u n d from th is p o r t to be v e r y v i g
ilan t and fed ulous to p re v en t th e ir fu c c e ed in g , as th e fa fe ty o f th e
ffiip m ig h t be v e r y m u ch end angered b y h a v in g num be rs o f fu ch
p eop le on board m ix in g w i th th e ir ffiip ’ s com p an y .
O n F r id a y th e 13 th died M r . D a v id B u r to n , o f a g u n - ffio t w o u n d
w h ic h h e re c e ived on th e p re ced in g S a turd a y . T h is y o u n g m an , o n
ac co u n t o f th e talents h e poffeffed as a bo tan ift, and th e fe rv ice s w h ic h
h e w a s capable o f ren d e r in g in th e fu r v e y in g lin e , co u ld b e b u t ill
jpared in th is fettlement. H is lofs w a s o c c a fio n ed b y on e o f th o fe
accidents w h ic h to o fr e q u en t ly h ap pen to pe rfon s w h o are in e x p e rienced
in the ufe o f fire-arms. M r . B u r to n had b e en ou t w i th E n fig n
B e c kw ith , and fem e fo ld ie rs o f th e N ew S o u th W a le s co rp s , in ten d in g
to k ill duck s on th e N ep ean . W i t h that fen fation o f th e m in d w h ic h
is ’called p re fen tim en t h e is fa id to h a v e fet o u t, h a v in g more than o n ce
obfe rv ed , that h e feared fem e ac cid ent w o u ld h ap pen b efore his re tu rn ;
and he did no t ceafe to be to rm en ted w i th th is u n pleafan t id ea , u n til
his g u n , w h ic h h e carried rather a u kw a rd ly , w en t o ff, and lo d g ed its
contents in the g ro u n d w i th in a few in che s o f the f e e t 'o f th e pe rfon
w h o im m ed iate ly pre ced ed h im in th e w a lk th ro u g h the w o o d s ,
Confidering th is as th e a c cid ent w h ic h h is m in d fo reb o d ed , h e w e n t
o n afterw ard s p e r fe d ly fre ed from a n y ap p reh enfion . B u t h e was
d e ce ived . R e a ch in g th e banks o f the r iv e r , th e y fo u n d on its furfa ce
in n um e rab le